The present invention relates, in general, to railway coupling devices and, more particularly, this invention relates to connection assemblies including one piece liner members for use in connection assemblies utilized in articulated coupling arrangements and slackless drawbar assemblies which are used in the railway industry to couple together the adjacently disposed ends of a pair of railway type freight cars in a substantially semi-permanent fashion.
Articulated coupling arrangements and slackless drawbar assemblies have been generally well known in the railroad industry for several years, prior to the development of the present invention, as a means to connect together the adjacently disposed ends of a pair of railway type freight cars in a substantially semi-permanent fashion. In other words, these railway freight cars generally will not require frequent separation during service. Normally they will only be separated during a required repair and/or routinely scheduled maintenance being performed on one or more of them.
These railway cars are particularly adapted for what is most commonly referred to, in the railroad industry, as piggyback service and/or dedicated service wherein the cars may be joined in a semi-permanent fashion. The railroad cars which are joined in such semi-permanent fashion are also commonly referred to in the railroad industry as either a xe2x80x9c5-packxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9c10-packxe2x80x9d unit.
These 5-pack or 10-pack units do not require the use of a standard coupler, except between units. The primary reason such standard couplers are not required is because these units are only broken periodically. Normally, this occurs when maintenance of an individual component must be carried out. Obviously, considerable cost-savings are achieved by the use of this semi-permanent coupling arrangement. These cost savings are mainly derived from lower car weight, fewer railway trucks, reduced maintenance and generally lower equipment cost. Such lower equipment cost being achieved by elimination of draft gears and a reduction in the number of trucks required.
With the use of these semi-permanent coupling arrangements and with the higher loads presently being carried by modern railway trains, it is of the utmost importance that a close-buttoned relationship be maintained between the numerous coupler draft components. Such a close-buttoned relationship is required in order to reduce the detrimental effects of the impact forces which are encountered by a car under buff conditions of train operations.
One prior type of articulated coupling device used for the purpose of connecting adjacent ends of a pair of railway cars, in a semi-permanent manner, is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,172,819, the teachings of such patent hereby being incorporated into the present application by reference thereto.
This particular articulated coupling device includes a male connection member secured to one end of a first railway car body and a female connection member secured to an adjacent end of a second railway car body. The male connection member includes an aperture therein. A bearing assembly, including a substantially spherical member, is positioned within this aperture for joining such male connection member with the female connection member.
A race assembly, formed by at least two members, is provided within the aperture and is positioned around a predetermined portion of the substantially spherical member. The race assembly enables requisite movement of the male connection member in relation to the female connection member in each of a vertical direction and a horizontal direction over a predetermined range of angles measured from each of a centerline of the spherical member disposed in a vertical direction and a longitudinal axis of the articulated coupling arrangement disposed in a horizontal direction. A securing means is provided which is engageable with each of the race assembly and the male connection member for securing the race assembly and the spherical member to the male connection member.
One generally well known slackless type drawbar assembly using a ball and race type connection includes the following elements:
a car connection member, or female connection member, engageable within the center sill portion of a railway vehicle, a spherical member securable within the car connection member, a male connection member having a curved butt end and an aperture which is disposed around the spherical member secured within the car connection member and a two piece race assembly secured within the aperture of the male connection member and disposed between the spherical member and such aperture and a drawbar connected to such male connection member.
A disadvantage of the articulated coupling arrangements and slackless drawbar assemblies discussed above is the provision of at least two separate members to form the race assembly and the care which must be taken to secure these two separate members within the aperture of the male connection member around a predetermined portion of the spherical member. These factors add additional materials cost, assembling time and labor to the manufacture of the articulated coupling arrangement and/or slackless drawbar assembly.
An object of the present invention is to provide a connection assembly including a one piece liner member for use in an articulated coupling arrangement and/or a slackless drawbar assembly to connect together the adjacently disposed ends of a pair of railway type freight cars in a substantially semi-permanent fashion.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a one piece liner member for use in a connection assembly utilized in an articulated coupling arrangement and/or a slackless drawbar assembly to connect together the adjacently disposed ends of a pair of railway type freight cars in a substantially semi-permanent fashion.
A further object of the present invention is to replace the two piece race assembly with a one piece liner member which provides sufficient lubrication enabling rotation of the spherical member within the substantially spherical inner surface formed by at least a portion of an inner surface formed by an aperture in the male connection member and at least a portion of a retainer member engaged with the inner surface of the male connection member.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a connection assembly that is easily assembled thus providing a significant reduction in time and labor.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a connection assembly that requires fewer component parts thereby providing a significant reduction in manufacturing cost.
Briefly, and in accordance with the foregoing objects, the instant invention comprises a connection assembly using a one piece liner member and a liner member for use in a connection assembly utilized in an articulated type coupling arrangement and/or a slackless drawbar type assembly for connecting together, in a substantially semi-permanent manner, adjacently disposed ends of a pair of railway cars. The one piece liner member comprises a substantially solid member having a substantially spherical inner surface for positioning around a predetermined portion of a spherical member of a connection assembly. The male connection member of the railway coupling device includes an aperture having a predetermined configuration and an inner surface formed by this aperture. A retainer member is provided for engaging at least a portion of the inner surface of the male connection member to form a substantially spherical inner surface. An outer surface of the one piece liner member engages this substantially spherical inner surface and enables movement of the male connection member in relation to a female connection member in both a vertical direction and a horizontal direction over a predetermined range of angles. A means for affixing the one piece liner member within the aperture of the male connection member is provided as well as a means for securing the retainer member within the aperture of the male connection member. Additionally, a joining means is provided for joining the spherical member to the female connection member so as to connect adjacent ends of a pair of railway vehicles.